claims Blog Posts

It has been awhile since we updated the appraisal community on developments in the wave of lawsuits filed by Llano Financing Group LLC (Llano). Our last update was issued on February 18, 2016 so here is what has transpired since then.

We are happy to report that the walls are slowly tumbling down on Llano Financing and the Ganter brothers (Chris & Ben). If we sound biased it’s only because we are. When any entity like Llano is on the losing end of close to 100% of the cases in both state and federal court, it becomes very clear quickly to both the judiciary and the general public that something fishy is going on.

In February 2014, we reported what we saw as a potential scam involving letters being sent to appraisers by a group called Savant Claims Management. Since then, a lot has happened and we want to provide an update on the latest activities by entities related to Savant and give some tips to those who have actually been sued by First Mutual Group, L.P. from Plano, Texas. (First Mutual Group, L.P., is a Delaware limited partnership whose members are Alternative Capital Strategies, LP, (a British entity) and First Mutual Group, GP LLC (another Delaware entity).

In a rare occurrence, a New Jersey Court recently enforced the State’s prohibition against frivolous litigation against a plaintiff who sought to sue a home inspector following a failed real estate transaction.

Insurance: that annoying but potentially beneficial thing we pay good money for and hope to never use. Insurance can protect your car, your business, your family, your home and more. The downside? It can often put a big red target on your back that says “sue me.”

On May 23, 2014, the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, Division One, State of California, issued a very interesting decision on whether a plaintiff can successfully plead and argue fraud based on comments made about the concluded value of real estate that was appraised. The case is Graham V. Bank of America, N.A., et al. Although this ruling is unquestionably useful for an appraiser being accused of appraisal fraud, it probably is not the magic elixir many will proclaim it to be.

Whether in the field or at the office, there’s much at stake every day. Yet, many of us continue to overlook the importance of professional liability insurance.

Commonly known as errors and omissions - or E&O - insurance, these policies are designed to protect you against legal recourse should a lawsuit be filed against you. However, not all policies are created equally, and premiums are continually on the rise. So what’s the story behind these additional costs?

When it comes to real estate, risk is the name of the game. While it’s impossible to predict the future, there are steps you can take to prevent or defend against lawsuits brought about by errors and omissions made during the delivery of your services. Today, we’ll show you why taking a proactive approach to mitigating your risk matters so much.

Cornerstone Report Radio was created for real estate professionals like you who want easy access to information when you’re out in the field. If you don’t have time to read a lot of articles and blog posts, these short, 10-minute episodes will give you the information you need to stay up-to-date on trends and issues that affect your work and your livelihood.

In my years of appraising, I have had had to argue with many Lenders, Attorneys, and general pains in the butt. What many of us have found is that when Banks screw up, they come knocking at your door.

What we need to do as appraisers is to state the separation of Lending liability to appraisal liability. Please consider utilizing the following statements in your reports After your statements of intended users that is required in your reports.

I have been using this for years in my reports as it returns liability for poor lending decisions back on the Lender - It is...